Susan Boyle in London Clinic

The only thought which occurs to me is why we would care. We can't know the true reasons that she were hospitalized, we know nothing of her private life (and ought to keep our noses out of it), we know nothing of how the people from the production company have treated her. I'd suggest to you that you don't know why, specifically, she was hospitalized, and that any speculation on your part will necessarily be a product of sheer imagination.

She had a good voice but seemed to be one sammich short of a high tea.

I just can't fathom why this should be a topic of agonistes . . . how important is this supposed to be?

farmerman- It had been said that in her town, she was considered "peculiar". Don't know exactly to what that translates, but I had heard that she had an oxygen problem when she was born, and suffered some neurological damage.

Setanta- I think that the reason that people care, is because one tends to live vicariously through the joys and sorrows of other people. No, it is none of our business, but when a person puts him/herself out there on the world's stage, there is some expectation of a lack of privacy.

Susan Boyle's story is a modern retelling of "Cinderella". Personally, it is not very important, but as an example, people relate to it.

It's not the lack of privacy of which i speak--it is the ludicrous nature of the speculation.

I do hope she is ok, and gets whatever amount of fame and fortune she can handle and truly enjoy.

Whatever is wrong with her, I hope she pulls through and has a happy life. She's got a wonderful talent and I hope to hear her sing again sometime (but only if she's happy in the spotlight).

I think there is a huge difference between gossiping and trying to pry into someone's private life and caring for another individual. I take it that you, Phoenix is just caring for another individual. That is just a wonderful human emotion. Too bad not everyone else has such noble thoughts and caring for others - would be a much better world.

probably about as important as any discussion about politics, history, geography, music, books ... here at A2K. In other words, not important at all.

Well, perhaps slightly more important, as it is about an individual's life and health.

I find it squalid and ghoulish. Nothing anyone here has written convinces me otherwise. I normally don't respond to such threads, but in this case, the woman who is the subject has been relentlessly subjected to invidious comment. Additionally, i believe that Phoenix won't take this criticism personally, or, if she does, it will just roll off her back.

Nah, and I even understand and appreciate what you are saying. Normally, I don't even watch the kind of show that Susan Boyle was on. When I first saw her, on You Tube, I was thrilled by her voice, but concerned about what all the attention and stress would do to her.
It was obvious to me that she was extremely fragile emotionally.

Phoenix, I agree Susan Boyle had no idea what she was getting into, that first time she stepped on stage and sang for us.

I care about what happens to her because (OK, feel free to ridicule my emotional nature here) I shed tears when I heard her sing.

Maybe I shed tears for all of us, for what we, as mere humans, can and will do.

At times, we are stunningly beautiful. We transcend our own humanity. We gift others with joy.

This is, to me, our best, most valuable gift as human beings. Other critters don't, and can't, do this.

I'm saddened to think that Susan's glorious, transcendent moment was NOT worth it to her. I don't think she should have to suffer for the beauty she gave us.

Why should we care:

I just checked her YouTube views:
She has over 66 MILLION views on a single video of her singing. Other (YouTube only, mind you) videos of her singing have 24 million, 7 million, 4 million... you get the idea. Number of tears of joy shed? Countless.

Would it shock and surprise any of you that I had never heard of Susan Boyle until I saw this thread?

Nope.

You'd have to either A) Watch a particular TV show; or B) Check YouTube's "most popular" videos to have ever heard of her.

Watch (if you like) her original peformance here:

Considering who the lady is, where she comes from, and what her life was like before she appeared on this show, I think we all should give her a break.

How many people do you know that would have been able to handle what Susan Boyle has been through in the last couple of months? I don't know a one. I know I certainly wouldn't.

Would it shock YOU to know that I had never heard of her either, until I saw a mention of her on the internet. I then went to You Tube, and heard her sing.

I think that this small example illustrates the power of the internet to disseminate information.

I think she will come out alright as Simon Cowell knows he has something bigin his hands that is marketable in America. America loves the underdog and she is it. She has a beautiful voice but a slight learning disability and maybe slightly mentally retarded but she is talented and with the right coaching she could sing as beautifully as the best. She was missing sections of the songs she sang. In the Semi Final she missed:

Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember thetime I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

(There was crowd murmor that dropped off quickly as she jumped into
'Every street lamp seems to beat a fatalistic warning'...)

Broken ends of smokey days
The stale, cold smell of morning
The street lamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning

Then in her signature song 'I dreamed a dream'

In the final she missed:

Then I was youngand unafraid
Dreams were made and used and wasted